THE EX

se had been cremated, and her remains sealed in a tasteful bronze jar. A high mass at St. Paul's Knightsbridge, packed to the brim with mourners

l friezes of slender maidens in togas, the floors carpeted in area rugs that probably cost more than a mid-size

et Neil, and that she'd had some financial troubles following the dissolution of her marriage. Neil had purchased this house for her, but that didn't really make up for the fact that he and his brothers hadn't pulled their weight in caring

ona. She'd put her life aside, and

despite how difficult it must have been

break down; every moment was packed with family friends and distant relations. I stood beside him, calm and supportive, and shook hands wh

needed a break. "Let's go out f

, he smiled gratef

garden and large swaths of flowerbeds were covered with black plastic to weathe

at least for the moment," he said

ich I thought was incredibly sweet. There had been plenty of roses, of course, but also gorgeous irises that complemented them. T

pleased with the way it turned out. And

ered when Neil had told his funeral plans to Emma and me.

u die?" He scuffed the heel of his s

d. "Nothing

, his hands in his trouser pockets. "I wish I could imagin

horribly sick or suffered an accident, he wasn't going to outlive me. Our twenty-four year age gap would probably leave me widowed in my fifties. Rose ha

his voice. "People say 'they'll live on in your memory,' but it isn't the same. I do

didn't waste." I wished I could siphon the hurt from hi

d us to the presence of someone else.

k with you and Sophie before you return t

lerie, I don't know if you've not

d wait, it would." Valeri

"Is this busin

Whatever it was she wanted to tell us, I owed

ophie. I will.

inside then I turned back to

ortant and Valerie'

't want to talk to her, I will. But she really helpe

bled. I wasn't sure if h

ght she and I'd had before Emma's wedding-or if he was trying to protect my feeli

ousins I'd already met chatting beside the thoughtfully provided whiskey

I asked, glancing dow

around the crowded sitting room. "There's concern, and then th

your health, though," I reminded her. "I wa

ry just die or fall int

t, seriously, ar

herself anymore." Emma looked down at the glass in her hand. "

art of his face; it hadn't done anything to his mind, the way it had to Rose. It made m

s." Emma wiped her eyes on the back of he

lly. "Or your grandmother jus

er tears. "Shut up, Sop

ther with affection and sadness. There were so many stories: the time Rose had slipped in manure at a polo match, and Prince Philip had made an off-co

revisit whenever their grief returned. Though memories could never replace a silly pet name or the feeling of a mother's hand stroking their fevered brow, at least they

ime, I left to follow him. He wasn't on the first floor, so I crept upstairs, hop

ing out. I stepped inside. Neil sat on the edge of a bed made up with a lovely floral bed

ders slumped, his back bowed. He looked up when I knocked

side and sat with him on his

is crying. Neil was a master at holding back emotion. He viewed it with a sense of pride and dut

," I assured him. "I'll call h

k you. I know it's difficult

his back. "Let's go to the house and just relax.

uneral had given him more closure than he'd expected. Not that I wasn't anticipating further breakdowns i

y, looking to me as though asking permi

you're not using them to swallow handfuls o

," he conceded. "

and asked Matthew, the head of the household staff, to turn on the hot tub for us before he left

e house in the first decade of the twentieth century, when the space had been repurposed as a gymnasium. The pool had been updated si

inset lighting and pulled his loose tie from

I asked him as I raised my shirt over my

. "Besides, they can't really fault m

not sure what kind of 'diversion' you h

n eyebrow, bu

hink Michael is going to ease up a

shoes and set them carefully aside, far from

th Emma. He'd traveled non-stop to avoid the reality of becoming a father. He'd cheated on her with a woman from his father

put my toes in the water. Oh, that was heavenly. We had a hot tub at home, but I never r

hemotherapy and the transplant that had almost killed him. It would never be my favorite place on Earth. I'd spent too m

lders. His thin white undershirt came off next, and I took a moment to shamelessly appreciate

ousers and boxers and

b. "You know, we're naked around each other so often, sometimes I take it for

eyes. "I'll be sure to tell Dawn that you

rbie and employed some pretty tough methods. Bringing a body back from the ravages of cancer had

nce. Once was enough. I like

r and rotated my ankle. "Remind me

y because they were shaped similarly to the other pair that yo

nd snuggled down in the water fa

brushed under the water. "Very little could raise my spirits today. You're one of

for the bottle of 2002 Le Pin. We'd opened it, but we hadn't bo

true. I don't believe I thanked you for your help yest

?" I leaned my sweating head against his shoulder. "D

d and coughed and wiped his mouth, still laughing. "Not whi

ed. "But the quest

" He leaned his head back again. "I'm so tired I woul

romised. "Is there anything e

nt. "Be with me. That's

d kissed a drop from his c

*

ke to

d, still slightly damp bo

" I mumbled into my pillow.

an and soft and mine was sleep funky. Still, a promise was a promise. I slipped from the bed. The lovely blue Carine Gilson nightgown, the

ait while you shower, are you?"

mouth." I dashed into the bathroom, quickly brushed m

heir teeth before performing oral sex." He thre

other's funeral," I said, and then, I wished I hadn'

His skin, warmed by the blankets, felt so good against mine that I m

week. Any small relief I can get, I'll take."

s I kissed my way down hi

I rolled to lie between his legs. "Are you m

aw. "And Sir is far too tired to make an appearance

oked my fingers down his hardening

ally with mussed hair. And smeared eyeliner. In my opini

ped him in my fist and gave him a quirk of my lips. "But, if that's

the bed. I sat up and grasped his thick erection in one hand. I rolled the foresk

so much pleasure from making him feel good, I almost felt guilty. But our sex always s

enis, stroking him all the while. When I parted my lips and let my open mouth hover over the head, he opened his eyes and smiled, the halfway one that would have been panty melting had I been wearing panties. I slid my mouth down ab

hie," he scolded in hi

into my mouth, I manipulated with my hands, circling him and squeezing as I slid them up and down his wide cock. His breath caught; he moaned.

ling his thigh and rubbing my sopping pussy against his skin as I tugge

reaching down to dig his fingers into my h

was always the time he most wanted to do it. I turned to face away from him and almost laughed at the desper

pushed his tongue between to run it around my engorged clit. He sucked

I leaned forward, an elbow on either side of him, and took his cock in my mouth again. Now, sucking him off wasn't the only thing getting me wet.

th, panting and rubbing his face against my slick, wet vulva the whole time. His chin bumped my clit, and it was the very last st

to snuggle at his side. We kissed with the taste of each

e than I realized." He rubbed h

harging on the bedside table, but I was too

es on the treadmill, took a shower, and got a fucking inc

th of us, though about what, I had no clue. It seemed like that meeting, whatever

o go get ready. Find us

to eat breakfast?" He traced the

hed myself up relu

hroom when Neil said, "Tha

nce blow job,"

"Yes, well. Tha

first time in a while, Neil's smile in response was sp